Hydraulic tester



P 16, 1952 G. w. NIG'H ,50 I

HYDRAULIC TESTER Filed April 16, 1948 J0 i I 11".--

0.0. w. my. 241 7:31:22;

i atentecl Sept. 16 1952 W George Whigs, Baymnaifi. J.', assigno r t o Tide 7 Water Associated Oil Company; Bayonne; J

" acorporation of Delaware" 1 I, t l a. Application April 16, 1948, Serial No; 21,592 r l ;1. i

of such articles by means of a hydraulic fluid.

More particularly, the invention relates toan improved hydraulic apparatus for the shock-testing of tubes and the like which force is applied sud- }denly to the wallsthereof.

Testing apparatus employing the principle of sudden application of hydraulic pressure or impact force in the testingof tubes is known. .The general principle of operation involved in such apparatus and which is also used in the present invention comprises connecting'the tubeat one iof its ends to a hydraulic system comprising a pressure chamber carrying a plunger; plugging the tube at its other endyiillingthe tube and hydraulic system with a fluid such as water and applying a sudden, predetermined iorce to the plunger. The impact force thus applied istransmitted through the hydraulic fiuid to all parts of the walls ofthe tube being tested; Any defective 1dr undesirably weakuareas-of the tube are thus readily detected by the leaking or spurtingof the fluid through its walls at such areas during the test. .s s v In one typeof conventional hydraulic tube testenthe impact force is applied to the plunger by means of a falling weight which is lifted above .j theplunger to. a predetermined height and then permittediodrop .by iorce'of g'ravity oritqthe plunger. lThese gravity-actuated devices have several disadvantages, perhaps the foremost: of

operation, which limits their use to locations where sufiicientvertical space exists, 'It i often desired to test the tubes of condensers, heat-ex- 11 Claims. (Cl B l-:12)

a which resides in the fact that they must be me substantially vertical position during the-testing changers or' thelikeiin place, as for, example;

"while installed in relatively inaccessible positions T4 as parts lofjlarge'r unit's where no f adequate and immediate verticalspace is provided for the test equipment. Further, gravity-actuated testers are heavily constructed and,v consequently, cumbersome and relatively Idiificult to transportfrom job to job.v The falling weight which actuates ltheplunger is of itself considerably heavy and the guides or standards carrying said weight-and other parts ofthe machine necessarily are con- 'struote'd'of relatively large stock for adequate supportof theweight e v a a g The instant invention aims to provide an improved" hydraulic tester; one which avoids the disadvantages of those referred to above. ;A ma- -Jo'robiect is to provide a hydraulic tube testing shown). chamber 2 is fittedwith a plunger 4 in liquidapparatus which is relatively compactand light in weight and which is adaptedfor successful opie'r ationin non-vertical as well as in vertical posi- In generaljconcept, the-noveland improved apparatus of this invention comprises a hydraulic system adapted for hydraulic connection to ajtube or otherhollow article to betested, carrying a plunger or equivalent means for conveying force to the hydraulic fluid within the system and means including a resilient member for. applying an impact force to said plunger; More particularly the invention resides in a-tube-tester in which theimpact force may be varied and predeterminedanq in means for accomplishing such results including, an automatic adjustable mechaapparatus in various positions of operation of its essential parts.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views partly in. section of the movable crossheadshow ing details of one embodiment oia release mech- V anism in two respective positions.- Fig. 6 is a sec;-

tional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 of the re;-

lease mechanism to be described. g r In the drawings, 1 represents a pressure cylinder block having a hydraulic pressure chamberZ.

vwhich is connected at one end to a conduit figfor communication with a tube tobetested (not At its other end, hydraulic pressure tight sliding relationship; Guide bars or-stand- 'ards 5' are'rigidly-fastened to lugs 6 of theppres sur'ecylinder block as by means of nuts? and are similarly fastened at their opposite ends tolugs "Q'of an-air cylinder 8. The air cylinder: 8 is provided' with'conduits lilfor inlet and outlet oil-air and carries within its bore a piston I I:;ffasten ed to a piston rod l2. Mounted slidably uponstandards is a crosshead l3 which carries an impact plate H3 in alignment with plunger 4; Standards .5 also carry shock absorber springs 15 which coil loosely around the'standards'and abut the lugs 6 of the pressure cylinder block, all as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. On the other'side of theic'rosshead is coilspring I6 which'preferably is rigidly fastened at oneof its ends to lugs 9 and itsbther end engages loosely the ,cros'shead I3. "icrosshead 113 is-bored at I! so thatyit will slide loosely along a rod l8 which passes through the bore"; "Rod 18' passes through a-guide block' I!) rigidly atto fix the rod I8 in predetermined positions with respect to the lug 9. Rod I8 carries a cam 2|, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which is adapted to engage a latch 22, forming part of the release mechanism as shown in Figs. 4, and 6.

As illustrated in Figs, 2, 4 and 5, the piston rod I2 carries upon its end an integral flange 23 which fits loosely in alrecess 24 of the crosshead I3 and abuts upon surface 25 of the crosshead. Crosshead I3 has a lateral bore I8a to receive the latch 22, the latter being provided with an elongated slot 26, to receive rod l8, of greater length than the diameter of the rod I8, and with a coil spring 21, normally tending to hold'the latch in engagement behind the flange 23 of the piston rod in the position shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The crosshead I3 also is recessed at Ila to permit cam2l. to enter the crosshead. See Figs. 4 and 5. The,cam 2| is of such size relative to slot 26 that upon its engagement with the latch, the latch will ride up 611 the cam and release engagement of the latch with the piston rodflange 23, as shown in Figs. 4"and 5. Latch 22 is beveled on its end for reengagement with the flange, as illustrated.

-' 'Inoperating the machine, the tube to be tested is-plugged at one end andat its other end is connected-to the conduit 3, eitherdirectly or through interconnecting conduits;- and the tube being tested-the conduit 3and' the hydraulicchamber '2are filled with a hydraulic fluid such as water.

- WithJthe crosshead l 3 and coil spring in positionshowh in Fig. 1',- the adjustable rod I8 is set so that the cam 2I will be in 'aposition to release the latch mechanismand disengage the crosshead 13 at a predetermined position of the latter along the standards 5; With the latch '22 in engagement with the piston'rod flange in manner illustrated in Fig. 6 and the crosshead in position shown in Fig. l, compressed air is admitted "throughtube 0 to the piston rod side of the cyl- "inder 8,-which retracts the crosshead away from the plunger 4 and compresses the spring I6 until the release mechanism is actuated due to engagement of=the cam 2| with the latch 22, as shown in Figs 2-and5,' whereupon the crosshead I3 is sud denlyforce'd'by action of'spring 'it'toward and 2 into Cont ct with the plunger 4 by the spring it.

Figure 3 shows the relative positions of theparts just after such contact. The relative positions of cam' 2I and latch '22 "just beforerelease are shownin-detail in Fig. 4. j

rhereis thus transmitted through the hydraulic system-to the walls of the'tube being tested an iinp'act force which is proportional to the degree t'o'which' thecoil spring l6 has been compressed "prior to release of the crosshead." This forceis predetermined by proper'setting ofthe position of cam 2-I by adjustment of rod I8 and: set-ting same atafixed position with'set screw-2ii prior to the test. It should be clear from the drawings and-the above description that the forceimpinged inpon-the plunger .4 and uponthe tube beingtes'ted through. theihydraulic system may 'be adjusted and predeterminedwhether the apparatus isheld pressed air is admitted to the cylinder head side of the air cylinder 8 which forces the piston rod into engagement again with the crosshead I 3 and actuates the latch to again lock the piston rod and crosshead together so that for the next test air may be again admitted to the piston rod side of the air cylinder to retract the crosshead and compress the coil spring I B a s before.

It should be lunderstood that the ,-drawings merely describe one embodiment of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting the invention to the structure shown in said drawings.

-'For.example, the crosshead release mechanism alent means to accomplish their respective pur- .in vertical or horizontal position during operation,

.In other words, the hydraulic tester will operate .satisfactorilyin ahorizontal position as well as in rather. non-verticalipositions and, -thus, may fbe usediinareas where it is impossible to place the apparatus vertically during thetest.

.Aiter, the, crossheadhas-been released in the .manner. describedabove, it becomes-disengaged from .piston rod .I2 inaits travel -towards the ,plunger. ;,In.order to retract the crosshead, corn- 75 DOSES.

It is furtherunderstood that the actual force exerted upon the walls of the tube being tested at any given setting of the rod I8 will be predetermined by calibration of the device. Therod It may carry a -scale calibratedin desired -units for convenience in setting the --deyice to-re1ease atvarious positions corresponding to-the impact force desiredto be ezierted ufpon the plunger.

7 Inasmuch as the plunger-engagingunember, illustrated in one embodiment as av crosshead I3, does not depend upon the force of gravity for its momentum, this member canbe of relatively light weight, and its supporting standards or guides consequently can be" ofrelatively light construction. In general; the device of this invention c an be made morecompact, as compared to v gravityactuated devices for the intended use, because in the tester of this-invention, the" distance traizeled by the plunger-engaging member between itsposition at time of release and. itstposition ofjcontact withthe plunger need not be as great as would be required were the attained m en um'du solely to the force of gravity,

' "Having now described my inventionyIelain 'the following:

' 1'. In ahydraulic tube-testing apparatus in which an impact force is applied to a hydraulic 45 s em y a rin j-ioadedhamm an on i ing means for moving the hammer away from: the h Q y t an Q RRI SiD he s ri ai he mp e c pri i releasin mechanis h n ax bindin sa a meren said ea i e agemen .Lfll lii l a d. movemen w r m, he h d aulic s m.andia tneenea ing means adapted to actuate saidlatch to release i m i t w teaei e .mea sheine adjustable o; fixed release positions.

a us a sies rib dincla ml i which the. c -e eae name ns .c mpri ea cam whic is adjustable to fixed distances from the hydr'aul q s em en eda te p en a e. la h fp a ai ths eof to .r sa th H d aul c stin ap ratu com main com ation y rai li thamber.ad p e .i615 hys a nn t on w t a tub .toI. b tes edrsa beah rine .r el ab De onda ts externally imtpacted to reeeive ;ar d transmi A pactforce thereto, a spring for jexerting impact r e n sai v wab e PQ X iQmfiK mpanti em- -ber adaptedfior movement away fro n said hy- ;draulic chamber as said spring isioadedgand fpr movement toward said "hydraulic 'chamber by said spring to impartforce oiimpaict to said yieldable portion whereby said force is transmitte'd'to said hydraulic chamber, spring loading meansadapted for engagement with said impact member ior moving the same away from said'hydraulic cham- *ber as said spring is; loaded; :lockingrneahsior maintaining said engagement during the spring loading stroke and lock-engaging means adapted to actuate said locking means to disengage said impact member from said spring loading means and release said spring, said lock-engaging means being adjustable to fixed release positions of the spring-loading stroke.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the said locking means is carried by the impact member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the said spring loading means comprises a draw bar adapted for locking engagement with said impact member.

6. Apparatus for hydraulic testing of tubes comprising a rigid hydraulic chamber adapted for connection to a tube to be tested and having a yieldable portion adapted to receive and transmit impact force to said chamber, impact means for applying impact force to said yieldable portion and being movable with respect thereto, resilient driving means for moving said impact means, means for compressing said resilient driving means and moving said impact means away from said yieldable portion, releasing means supported by said impact means for automatically releasing said resilient means and freeing said impact means for movement toward and into contact with said yieldable portion and means for adjustingsaid releasing means to actuate during the compression stroke at different predetermined distances between said yieldable portion and said impact means.

7. Apparatus, as defined in claim 6, wherein the resilient driving means is a spring.

8. Apparatus, as defined in claim 6, wherein the yieldable portion is a plunger.

9. In a hydraulic tube testing apparatus in which an impact force is applied to a hydraulic system by an impact member loadable by a resilient member, and containing means for moving the impact member away from the hydraulic system and to load said resilient member, the improvement comprising releasing mechanism having a latch holdin said impact member and said means in engagement during said movement away from the hydraulic system and latch-engaging means adapted to actuate said latch to releaseing means for locking said member and said hammer together and moving said hammer away from said hydraulic system during the springloading stroke and adjustable means for automatically unlocking said locking means at a predetermined length of said loading stroke to free said hammer from said member whereby said hammer is propelled free of said member to contact and transmit force to said hydraulic system, said adjustable means being an elongated member having a portion intermediate of its ends fixable at predetermined distances from said hydraulic system and adapted for engagement with and unlocking of said locking means.

11. Apparatus for hydraulic testing of tubes comprising a hydraulic chamber adapted for connection to a tube to be tested and having a yieldable portion adapted to receive and transmit force to said chamber, a spring-loaded hammer member movable away from said hydraulic chamber in spring-loading stroke to compress said spring and adapted to be propelled into contact With said yieldable portion upon release, means for moving said hammer member in a spring-loading stroke comprising a cylinder and a piston movably positioned therein, said piston carrying a rod member adapted for locking engagement with said hammer member during the spring-loadin stroke and for release therefrom for the driving stroke, locking means for locking said rod member and hammer member together whereby said hammer member is withdrawn from said yieldable portion and said spring is compressed by movement of said piston in its cylinder and means for adjusting the length of the springloading stroke comprising a member adjustable to different predetermined positions to unlock said locking means by engagement therewith during the spring loading stroke thereby disengaging said rod-member from said hammer to permit propulsion of the hammer by the spring.

GEORGE W. NIGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

